EXPECTED REPORT ISSUANCE April 20 2 2 This section reflects the time frames within which we expect to issue reports about our audit and evaluation work currently in progress. The status of these time frames is subject to change. PROJECT TITLE EXPECTED REPORT ISSUANCE (Year Initiated, Project Number) OIG OBJECTIVES (Quarter and Fiscal Year) Follow-Up Audit of Report No. 18-P-0221, Manaaement Weaknesses Delayed Response to Flint Water Crisis 2021, OA-FY21-0123 Determine whether the EPA implemented agreed-upon corrective actions and the corrective actions taken effectively addressed the identified program deficiencies in OIG Report No. 18-P-0221, Management Weaknesses Delayed Response to Flint Water Crisis, issued on July 19, 2018. 3rd Quarter FY 2022 Survev of Remedial Proiect Manaaers on the Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic on Lona-Term Cleanups atSuperfund National Priorities List Sites 2020, OE-FY21-0050 Determine the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on long-term cleanup at Superfund National Priorities List sites based on a survey of remedial project managers and interviews with senior management from the EPA's Office of Land and Emergency Management and the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. 3rd Quarter FY 2022 EPA's Process for Awardina, Overseeina, and Monitorina Loans Made Under the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act 2020, OA-FY21-0004 Determine whether the EPA's process for awarding, overseeing, and monitoring loan awards made under the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act complies with the statute, regulations, and EPA policy. 3rd Quarter FY 2022 EPA's Screenina of Environmental Violations that the Reaulated Community Self-Reports via the eDisclosure Svstem 2021, OSRE-FY21-0212 Determine whether the EPA's process for screening self-reported violations through its eDisclosure system is effective and ensures that significant concerns, such as criminal conduct and potential imminent hazards, are addressed by the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. 3rd Quarter FY 2022 ------- Cancer Assessment Review for the Pesticide 1,3-Dichloropropene 2021, OSRE-FY21-0214 Evaluate the extent to which the EPA followed policies and procedures in developing the cancer assessment for the 1,3-Dichloropropene pesticide registration review decision to prevent unreasonable adverse effects on human health. 3rd Quarter FY 2022 EPA's Fiscal Year 2021 Compliance with Improper Payments Reauirements 2021, OA-FY22-0028 Determine whether the EPA complied with the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 in FY 2021. 3rd Quarter FY 2022 Statutory Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Inspections Follow Up 2021, OSRE-FY22-0023 Determine the extent to which the EPA has met its statutory requirement to complete required inspections of treatment, storage, and disposal facilities. 3rd Quarter FY 2022 EPA's January 2021 PFBS Toxicity Assessment 2021, OSRE-FY21-0207 Determine whether the EPA's Office of Research and Development and Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention followed applicable policies and procedures in the development and publication of the January 19, 2021 perfluorobutane sulfonic acid toxicity assessment. 4th Quarter FY 2022 EPA's Response to Drinkina Water Lead Contamination in Benton Harbor. Michiaan 2022, OA-FY22-0068 Determine the extent to which the EPA followed its 2016 elevation policy memorandum, titled Policy on Elevation of Critical Public Health Issues, in responding to evidence of drinking water lead contamination in the community water system for the City of Benton Harbor, Michigan. 4th Quarter FY 2022 ------- Addressina Cvbersecuritv Risks to Community Water Systems under the America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 2021, OA-FY21-0240 Assess (1) the adequacy of the cybersecurity baseline information that the EPA developed to meet the requirements of Section 2013 of the America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, as well as determine how community water systems used this information, and (2) the adequacy of the EPA's oversight to ensure that community water systems comply with Section 2013 of the America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018. 4th Quarter FY 2022 Pollution Prevention Grants Reoortina 2021, OA-FY21-0225 Examine the accuracy of pollution prevention grant results and how those results align with the pollution prevention grant program's goals, as well as follow up on recommendations from the OIG's prior audit on the pollution prevention grant program and further assess the program's progress since 2015. 4th Quarter FY 2022 Chanaes to Final Lona-Chain Perfluoroalkvl Carboxvlate and Perfluoroalkvl Sulfonate Chemical Substances Sianificant New Use Rule 2021, OSRE-FY22-0024 Determine the extent to which the EPA followed applicable policies, procedures, and guidance for the changes made to the Long-Chain Perfluoroalkyl Carboxylate and Perfluoroalkyl Sulfonate Chemical Substances Significant New Use Rule between the EPA Administrator's signing of the final rule on June 22, 2020, and the publication of the final rule in the Federal Register on July 27, 2020. 4th Quarter FY 2022 Awardina. Monitorina. and Performance of EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grants 2021, OA-FY21-0227 Examine the EPA's execution and monitoring of Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants to determine whether they were awarded in accordance with federal grants requirements, and assess how the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative projects support the Agency's goals for the Great Lakes. 4th Quarter FY 2022 ------- EPA Oversiaht of the Renewable Fuel Standards Renewable Identification Number Market 2021, OA-FY21-0293 Determine whether the EPA's Moderated Transaction System and Quality Assurance Program include controls to identify and reduce the generation and trading of invalid renewable identification numbers that are used to demonstrate compliance with renewable fuel standards as overseen by the EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality. 4th Quarter FY 2022 EPA's Fiscal Years 2020-2023 National Compliance Initiative: Stoooina Aftermarket Defeat Devices for Vehicles and Enaines 2021, OSRE-FY21-0228 Determine (1) the EPA's progress toward achieving the goals and measures in its Fiscal Years 2020-2023 National Compliance Initiative: Stopping Aftermarket Defeat Devices for Vehicles and Engines and (2) the extent to which existing measures track and promote the achievement of the National Compliance Initiative's goals. 4th Quarter FY 2022 EPA Oversiaht of State and Local Air Aaencv Identification ofSM-80 Facilities 2021, OA-FY22-0036 Determine whether EPA oversight has assured that state and local agencies with large compliance- monitoring programs identify high-emitting synthetic minor facilities, known as SM-80s, in accordance with the EPA's Clean Air Act Compliance Monitoring Strategy. 4th Quarter FY 2022 Drinkina Water State Revolvina Fund Loan Subsidies to Disadvantaaed Communities 2021, OA-FY22-0020 Evaluate whether states meet their loan subsidies goals for disadvantaged communities, as identified in their intended-use plans. 4th Quarter FY 2022 Toxic Substances Control Act's New Chemicals Review Process 2021, OA-FY22-0025 Determine the extent to which the EPA is using and complying with applicable records management requirements, quality-assurance requirements, and employee performance standards to review and approve new chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act to manage human health and environmental risks. 4th Quarter FY 2022 ------- FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDITS: EPA's Fiscal Years 2020 and 2019 Toxic Substances Control Act Service Fee Fund Financial Statements 2022, OA-FY21-0349 EPA's Fiscal Years 2021 and 2020 Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest System Fund Financial Statements 2022, OA-FY22-0064 EPA Fiscal Years 2021 and 2020 Pesticides Registration Fund (PRIA) Financial Statements 2022, OA-FY22-0066 EPA Fiscal Years 2021 and 2020 Pesticides Registration and Expedited Processing Fund IFIFRA) Fingncigl Stgtements 2022, OA-FY22-0067 For all projects listed, determine whether (1) the 4th Quarter FY 2022 financial statements are fairly presented in all material respects in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; (2) the EPA's internal control over financial reporting is in place; (3) EPA management has complied with applicable laws and regulations; (4) the EPA has complied with specific provisions of the applicable acts; and (5) the information and manner of presentation contained in the Management's Discussion and Analysis, as well as any other accompanying information, are materially consistent with the information contained in the principal statements. For Project No. OA-FY21-0349, also analyze fees collected and disbursed, reasonableness of the fees in place, and number of requests for a risk evaluation made by manufacturers. For Project No. OA-FY22-0064, also analyze fees collected and disbursed, reasonableness of the fee structure, the level of use of the system, and success of the system in operating on a self-sustaining basis and improving the efficiency of tracking waste shipments. For Project No. OA-FY22-0066, also determine whether the EPA complied with the decision-time review period requirements for the Pesticides Registration Fund. For Project No. OA-FY22-0067, also determine whether reported accomplishments under applicable performance measures and goals for the Pesticides Reregistration and Expedited Processing Fund are accurate. ------- 35th Avenue Suoerfund Site Case Studv on Cumulative Impacts 2021, OA-FY21-0279 Determine what actions the EPA has taken—in accordance with its mission, its program goals, and applicable executive orders—to identify and address any disproportionate health effects to disadvantaged communities located on or near a selected site. 4th Quarter FY 2022 Effectiveness of EPA's Oversiaht of Testina and Certification Proaram for Residential Wood Heaters 2021, OSRE-FY22-0026 Determine whether the EPA effectively uses its oversight and enforcement authority to ensure that all residential wood heaters reaching consumers are properly tested and certified in accordance with established standards. 4th Quarter FY 2022 EPA's Corrective Actions Taken to Address OIG Recommendations 2022, OA-FY22-0072 Summarize instances identified during recent OIG audits where the EPA falsely certified that corrective actions were completed for agreed-to audit recommendations. 4th Quarter FY 2022 Reported Deficiencies in EPA Grants Administration and Oversiaht 2022, OA-FY22-0080 Highlight findings from prior OIG and U.S. Government Accountability Office audit reports that are relevant to the EPA's administration and oversight of grant awards under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. 4th Quarter FY 2022 Intearated Risk Information Svstem Security Access Controls 2022, OA-FY22-0071 Determine whether the EPA's IRIS database adheres to federal and Agency access control requirements. 1st Quarter FY 2023 EPA Oversiaht of Drinkina Water Contamination at Red Hill, Hawaii 2022, OSRE-FY22-0075 Determine, by analyzing the sequence of events that led to drinking water contamination at the Red Hill site on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, whether the EPA's oversight of relevant authorized state programs effectively has addressed the potential for contamination at the site. 2nd Quarter FY 2023 ------- Benzene Fenceline Monitoring at Refineries Project 2022, OA-FY22-0070 Determine to what extent oversight of the benzene 2nd Quarter FY 2023 fenceline monitoring program by the EPA and delegated state and local agencies assures that refineries take corrective action and lower benzene, as required, when measured benzene concentrations exceed the action level. ------- RECENT OIG WORK J anuary-March 2022 This section reflects work recently published by the EPA OIG. REPORT FINDINGS Hotline: EPA Is Taking Steps to Update Its Federal Radiation Guidance Report No. 22-E-0016, January 6, 2022 The EPA's Office of Radiation and Indoor Air does not have a formal process for updating its federal radiation guidance and policies. It does, however, include updating radiation guidance in its strategic plan, and it updates its guidance as a result of annual priority goals. In addition, the EPA's use of the linear no-threshold model for radiation guidance is based on findings and recommendations by national and international authoritative bodies. The EPA relies on external organizations for radiation research results and data, as well as on the Department of Energy's Center for Radiation Protection Knowledge and other agencies to monitor the development of new research and updated data. EPA's Title V Program Needs to Address Ongoing Fee Issues gnd Improve Oversight Report No. 22-E-0017, January 12, 2022 EPA regions generally met their goal to conduct one Title V program evaluation per year, but a lack of consistent oversight and persistent Title V fee challenges may undermine Title V program implementation. The OIG recommended, among other things, that the EPA coordinate with its regions to provide recurring training to permitting authorities on Title V fee laws and regulations, develop and implement a plan to address declining Title V revenues, and collaborate with regional staff to identify the regional resources and expertise necessary to conduct fee evaluations. Mgnggement Implicgtion Report: Ingpproprigte Manipulation of Air Filter Dgtg by Office ofResegrch gnd Development Contrgctor February 18, 2022 The OIG confirmed that an Office of Research and Development laboratory contractor's inappropriate manipulation of air filter data and failure to follow applicable EPA and project guidance resulted in data for 95 air filter samples being rendered unusable. An EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards audit concluded that the air filter data "cannot be used due to data quality and integrity issues." EPA Should Consistently Trgck Corongvirus Pgndemic-Relgted Grgnt Flexibilities gnd Implement Plgn for Electronic Grgnt File Storgge Report No. 22-P-0018, February 22, 2022 The EPA risks mismanaging over $20 billion in cumulative grant funds by inconsistently tracking grants that were modified during the coronavirus pandemic and lacking an electronic data storage plan. The OIG recommended that the Agency develop a standard operating procedure that instructs program offices and regions on tracking and documenting grant flexibilities and exceptions for unanticipated events to ensure consistency in the information needed to manage grants. The OIG also recommended that the EPA develop a plan to implement a uniform electronic record-keeping system for grants to meet the Office of Management and Budget's direction that all federal records be created, retained, and managed in electronic formats. ------- EPA Needs to Complete Implementation of Religious Compensatory Time Training for Supervisors gnd Employees Report No. 22-P-0019, March 7, 2022 The EPA took corrective actions to address most of the recommendations issued in prior EPA OIG Report No. 16-P-0333. Enhanced Controls Needed to Prevent Further Abuse of Religious Compensatory Time, issued on September 27, 2016, but the Agency did not complete corrective actions for one prior recommendation. As a result, EPA employees and supervisors are not adhering to the Religious Compensatory Time policy. In our follow-up report, the OIG recommended that the EPA train all employees and supervisors who earn, use, or approve Religious Compensatory Time on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's current regulatory requirements for, and the EPA's current policy and procedures related to, Religious Compensatory Time. U.S. Chemicgl Sgfetv gnd Hgzgrd Investiggtion Board's Complignce in Fiscgl Yegr2021 with Improper Pgyments Legislgtion gnd Guidgnce Report No. 22-E-0020, March 15, 2022 The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board was fully compliant with improper payments legislation and guidance during FY 2021. CSB Is gt Increased Risk of Losing Significgnt Data gnd Is Vulnergble to Exploitgtion * Report No. 22-E-0025, March 29, 2022 *This report was produced by SB & Company LLC, an independent firm contracted to perform the evaluation under the direction and oversight of the EPA OIG. The CSB lacks a Vulnerability Disclosure Policy to protect its public website, which increases the risk that vulnerabilities identified by external stakeholders are not reported in a timely manner to CSB management. A delay in reporting identified vulnerabilities may increase the risk of exploitation of those vulnerabilities and lead to the disruption of operations. The CSB also discontinued the off-site storage of tape backups, which increases the risk of losing data and disrupting operations. Two recommendations were issued to the CSB: to develop a Vulnerability Disclosure Policy and to restore off-site storage of backup tapes. The EPA Needs to Develop o Strgtegy to Complete Overdue Residugl Risk gnd Technology Reviews gnd to Meet the Stgtutorv Deadlines for Upcoming Reviews Report No. 22-E-0026, March 30, 2022 The EPA has not conducted all statutorily mandated residual risk and technology reviews or recurring eight-year technology reviews that are used to revise standards, as needed, to protect the public from air toxics emitted by stationary sources. As of November 1, 2021, 93 industrial sources had overdue reviews, almost half of which were overdue by more than five years. The OIG recommended that the EPA perform a workforce analysis to determine the staff and resources needed to meet these statutory deadlines, as well as implement a strategy to conduct the reviews by the statutory deadlines. The EPA Lgcks Documented Procedures for Detecting gnd Removing Ungpproved Softwgre on the Agency's Network Report No. 22-E-0028, March 30, 2022 The EPA lacks documented procedures to govern its software management and vulnerability remediation processes. As a result, the EPA is at risk of outsiders gaining access to, compromising, and exploiting Agency systems and data. The OIG recommended that the EPA document procedures to detect and remove unapproved software on the Agency's network and provide targeted training on those procedures. ------- The EPA Did Not Follow Agency Policies in Managing the Northbridge Contrgct and Potentigllv Violgted Aooroorigtions Lgw Report No. 22-E-0027, March 31, 2022 Because key accounting policies were not adhered to, the EPA cannot ensure that $6.8 million of appropriated funds went toward their intended purposes, potentially violating laws. While we confirmed that the Northbridge contractor provided acceptable deliverables in Region 9, EPA contracting officers did not follow established acquisition guidance to review and track the completion of these deliverables. The OIG recommended that the EPA assess whether and to what extent EPA staff failed to comply with applicable regulations; annually train staff on requirements; and review and update internal controls to ensure the segregation of duties between staff, as well as the proper review and tracking of the completion of contractor deliverables. Brownfields Program-Income Monitoring Deficiencies Persist Becguse the EPA Did Not Complete All Certified Corrective Actions Report No. 22-P-0033, March 31, 2022 The EPA's Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization did not fully complete its corrective actions in response to prior OIG recommendation, despite certifying that those corrective actions were completed. As a result, the EPA lacks the current and accurate information needed to monitor an estimated $46.6 million of program income. The OIG made six new recommendations in this follow-up report, including that the EPA implement procedures to reduce the balances of available program income, establish a time frame for the use or return of funds, and assess whether any of the $46.6 million of program income under closeout agreements should be returned to the government. ------- RESPONSE TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC The EPA OIG is meeting the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic—that is, the SARS-CoV-2 virus and resultant COVID-19 disease—by initiating audits, evaluations, and investigations related to the pandemic's impact on the EPA's and CSB's missions to protect people, public health, and the environment. Webpage featuring EPA OIG pandemic-related work ------- |